Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.With its distinctive high-domed helmet-shaped upper shell, bright yellow throat, and endearing smile, it would be hard to mistake the Blanding’s turtle for anything else. Sadly, it is a species that most Iowans […]
Blanding’s Turtle – A Vanishing Link to Iowa’s Wetland Heritage Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.Temperatures are rising. The days are still getting longer. In the Iowa woodlands, the transition from spring to summer is nearly complete. But don’t take off your hiking boots just yet. For those
Iowa’s Natural Areas Provide Year-round Wonders Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.Looking for something to do? Sure, aren’t we all? No matter who or where you are, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created some dramatically unwelcome changes in how we live. Most of us
Spring Birding — Healthy for Body & Mind Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.Time flies when you’re havin’ fun; and I rarely have more fun than when hunting wild turkeys. But all good things must come to an end; hard to believe that all five segments
Spring Turkey Hunters Enjoy Banner Year Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The wait is over. The hatch is on. Newly emerged broods of baby Canada geese are appearing on wetlands across the state. And although the annual renewal of life should bring joy to
Nesting Goose Pair Brings Joy to Assisted Living Residents Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The spring season is quickly advancing. April has passed and it won’t be long until Iowa white-tails begin dropping their fawns. I was recently reminded of this fact when I spotted a pair
Sign of the Season Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.I’ve spent much of April crouching in a blackout blind while observing the close range interactions between breeding pairs of wood ducks. Most of my time is spent around small woodland ponds where
One of a Kind Wood Duck Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved. Iowa Turkey Opener Offers Blend of Feast & Famine The first of Iowa’s four-part, split turkey seasons began Monday. But as often happens during spring turkey season, the weather did not necessarily
Spinning on a Dime Read More »
Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.The giant Canada goose is the first waterfowl to begin nesting each spring; and at least a few females are already sitting on eggs. One of those early nests is located atop a
Unwelcome House Guest Read More »
Tom CopePresident and Director
Tom has served on the Johnston City Council since 2011, where he has been an advocate for investing in stormwater management practices and enhancement of opportunities to observe wildlife in Iowa’s communities. Tom has been a staff member and lobbyist at the Iowa State Capitol for over 20 years, where he lobbied for passage of Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (IWILL) constitutional amendment.
Sue WilkinsonTreasurer and Director
Iowa Wildlife Federation Board Advisor, pre-2013 – Present, Board member since 2020. Growing up on a northeast Iowa dairy farm, I saw wildlife every day; in the timber, ponds and nearby trout streams. My participation in National Wildlife Federation Conservation Summits as a teenager reinforced my love for wildlife and the outdoors.
Susan Judkins JostenDirector
Susan Judkins Josten is Client Development Director for RDG Planning and Design, a firm with expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, planning, interiors, art, multimedia, engineering and water resources. Prior career activities involve founding and leading economic and leadership development programs, launching the state’s successful Vision Iowa program, advising communities on project financing, and guiding passage of critical legislation following Iowa’s 2008 floods. She has a BA in Business Management from Simpson College, and an MBA from the University of Iowa. Susan has also been a member of the Clive City Council since 2013, and previously served on the Indianola School Board. She is interested in water quality policy and projects, and is active with several watershed groups. She has three adult daughters: Whitney Judkins, JD, Timmer & Judkins Law Firm in Des Moines; Erin del Ninno, MD, Capital Women’s Care in Maryland; and stepdaughter Jennifer Josten, Ph.D., Assistant Professor for the University of Pittsburgh.
Rudi RoesleinDirector
Rudi Roeslein grew up in south St. Louis, after immigrating to the United States from Austria in 1956. He attended Saint Louis University where he jokes that he majored in soccer and minored in Engineering. Before founding Roeslein & Associates in 1990, Rudi started his career at Container Corporation of America, a composite can manufacturing company.
Elyssa McFarlandDirector
Elyssa McFarland farms with her family in Southeast Iowa and serves as the National Corn Growers Association’s, Soil Health Partnership Field Development Director. She attended Iowa State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and went on to earn dual master’s degrees in Agronomy and Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Mark LangginDirector
Founding Partner, Pinpoint Digital; Mark has been an IWF Board member since 2020. “Really excited to be joining the Board of the Iowa Wildlife Federation. I’ve been an outdoor advocate since I was young. Originally, just as a kid out running around, shooting at squirrels (terrible shot).
Adam JankeDirector
An Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University, Adam is also the state wildlife extension specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He holds degrees in Wildlife Conservation from Purdue, Ohio State, and South Dakota State.
Joe HenryDirector
Joe Enriquez Henry is a graduate of Iowa State University and has worked in various capacities, from elected and appointed positions in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to the League of United Latin American Citizens and Forward Latino. Mr. Henry was awarded the Louise Noun Award by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.
Kristin AshenbrennerDirector
Kristin is a conservationist from Des Moines. She has a background in–and is particularly passionate about–ag and climate, conservation policy, and funding the National Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. In her spare time, she is an avid equestrian. Kristin owns and shows American Saddlebreds and helps with her family’s breeding operation.
Joe WilkinsonSecretary and Director
Retired, Iowa DNR. IWF President pre-2013, also 2017-2020. Board member; 2013-2017. My childhood was spent exploring the woods, fields, ponds and streams of central Iowa. Then, off to college; B.A. in English, University of Dubuque, with a Journalism equivalent, Clarke College, Dubuque. I spent 11 years in radio and TV news in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Tammy MildensteinVice President and Director
Dr. Tammy Mildenstein, Vice President of IWF, is an Associate Professor of Biology at Cornell College. Tammy has a PhD in Fish and Wildlife Biology and a MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. She leads community-based conservation projects for endangered species and endangered ecosystems, both in Iowa (monarch butterflies) and in Southeast Asia (flying foxes).
Sean McMahonVice President and Director
Sean is a passionate outdoors enthusiast who loves to hike, watch wildlife, camp and fish with his family. Sean has devoted his entire career to conservation, having spent nearly three decades in senior positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy and in his current role as Executive Director of the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance.”
